Europe Bans 700 Generic Drugs Tested In India
The European Union requires its member states to suspend, as of August 21, the marketing of almost 700 generic drugs tested and manufactured in India.
The decision, taken July 16, follows the irregularities found during a routine inspection conducted last year by the French drug safety agency (MSNA) on one of the GVK BIO sites, a specialized company in clinical trials and based in Hyderabad, southern India.
Alerted, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has reviewed a thousand drugs tested by GVK over the last five years and concluded that the data for 700 of them were insufficient. By January, it recommended their withdrawal from the market, and several states, including France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, had followed his advice. A complete list of affected molecules is online on the European Commission website. These are copies of current medications, such as Advil (painkillers), the Seroplex (antidepressant), the Aerius (antihistamine) or the Inexium (gastric bandage). (Evenimentul Zilei)
Labor Inspectors Applied Fines Of EUR422,688 During July 20- 24
Labor inspectors applied fines worth a total EUR422,688 (RON1,902,100) following checkups conducted between July 20 and 24.
Inspectors tracked down 153 illegal workers and applied fines worth a total RON1.2 million for breaches of the Labor Code, according to the Labor Inspection. (Puterea)
Top Officials To Get Higher Wages As Of August 1
The Government allocated nearly RON600,000 at the budget revision for the increase in public officials’ wages, which had been decided through ordinance on July 8.
Upon return from Turkey, where he had spent four weeks recovering from knee surgery, Prime Minister Victor Ponta said he would put off the enforcement of the ordinance raising the wages of public officials.
Last week, Ponta said there will also be made a political decision about the salary sector, along with the budget revision. (Puterea)
Government Approves This Year’s First Budget Revision
Romania’s government approved this year’s first budget revision Tuesday, as proposed by the Finance Ministry.
Prime Minister Victor Ponta assured no ministry’s budget would be cut.
According to Finance Ministry sources, the revision considered funding for the enforcement of an ordinance raising the wages of public officials as of August 1.
Although Ponta has called for the ordinance to be repealed and the issue to be discussed further, the act was not discussed in the Cabinet meeting Tuesday and remains in effect. (Adevarul)
Gabriel Oprea To Act As Interim PM During July 29 – August 17
Prime Minister Victor Ponta said he will put deputy prime minister Gabriel Oprea at the helm of the government starting Wednesday, July 29, when he leaves for Turkey for a second knee surgery, and during his vacation, people close to the matter told Mediafax.
Government sources said Ponta is leaving for Turkey Wednesday morning for a second knee surgery after which he will be on vacation until August 17.
Ponta is likely to spend his vacation in Romania. (Puterea)